He's Strange, But So Am I
by NamiEmi
Summary: KuroxTomo based off of Beauty & the Beast. AU.
1. Chapter 1

"For me,?" the girl asked, disbelieving as her father held out a delicate flower of scarlet, a rose. Times hadn't exactly been the very best for their family that consisted of herself, her father, her older sister Kendappa, and an aunt of whom she cared little about.

This was not to say that she, Tomoyo, hadn't tried to bridge the gap in their relationship, but frankly, the aunt didn't talk much to pique Tomoyo's interest, and she had gradually stopped the effort.

Her sister, however, wasn't half so delicate with the matter. Oh, _she_ was a great orator; but only to people she liked (or had no choice but to like.) In this case, Kendappa would turn her **full** attention on aunt Souma, flooding the bewildered woman with questions on the latest fashions of the day (for Kendappa adored all things fashionable, and was well aware that her aunt had no clue of it.)

Tomoyo was similar to her sister in that she enjoyed the aforementioned hobbies, but unlike her elder sibling, her spectrum had a wider range; she could talk just to fill a quiet evening, but she also knew when to be silent (not that she always followed this instinct.)

She could burst into song just to cheer on a family member, (not that Kendappa, who it was usually aimed at, always appreciated it.) She had all she needed.

Her father had always been a tad eccentric, and so when he announced at dinner one day, after Tomoyo's nineteenth birthday, that they were no longer ridiculously wealthy (which had been a mistake - Kendappa nearly choked on her fish) she wasn't bothered.

Her sister stared.

Aunt Souma stared.

Tomoyo twirled a dark lock of hair around her index finger (a sign that she was deep in thought) and asked if she was still allowed to keep Ruu, her gray kitten.

Her father blinked.

Her sister stared.

Aunt Souma mentioned in a whisper how she didn't mind cats. Tomoyo began to feel a kinship to her at last. It really was a shame you couldn't find the silks and linen Kendappa was used to wearing growing wild on trees.

Tomoyo only needed people to 'annoy/playfully-tease-and-then-laugh-long-and-impudently-at-them' to make her happy. It was another of her hobbies, and the one she enjoyed most of all.

Now that they weren't ridiculously wealthy, they had to go live in the country, out of Daidouji mansion.

Kendappa groaned through the whole trip and threatened to be sick (which usually meant she would spray someone.)

Aunt Souma threatened anyone to _try_ and wake her up and promptly dozed off.

Her father sighed.

Tomoyo wondered with excitement if they would have dragons living next door.

After they had been settled into their new house for a few days, her father took her aside and began telling her where the present had come from; he had been out in town the other day, gambling as usual; he lost most of their savings, and not wanting to go home right away, (especially to furious Kendappa) found some excuse to stay longer.

Long story short...

1. Waits too long and a storm comes.

2. Tries to go home in it.

3. Gets lost.

4. Finds a creepy, steel(?) castle.

5. Said castle has an even creepier, grungy man living in it that he doesn't notice at first until he eats all the guy's food.

6. Guy's style is cramped when he comes home.

7. Demands-

Tomoyo had to interrupt at this point. So she did.

"Was he _really_ all grungy and scary?"

"Uh...yes. Yes he was. Ugly, too."

"How exciting!"

"...he demanded something before I could leave."

"Like what?"

He just stared at her. She looked behind to make sure there wasn't some gigantic present for grumpy people there. There wasn't.

She laughed, that lilting little laugh of hers.

"I give up. So, what did you promise?"

"Well..."

But a loud rapping on the front door just then, shaking the whole house, kept him from saying anything else. Tomoyo, suspecting nothing, almost sailed to the door, sparkles following her face. A 'yes' was all she had time to say before her father quickly shoved the door closed again on the dark visitor.

"Papa", she scolded, "don't be rude!"

He smacked his palm against his forehead. 'I told him I had no daughters', she thought she heard him mumble. By this time Aunt Souma and Kendappa had been attracted by all the noise.

"Thought you said you didn't have one of these", came the visitor's muffled voice from behind the door...that wasn't completely shut, and had an enormous finger pointing at Tomoyo. She couldn't resist, since his hand _was_ already there and all, putting her wee digit over that huge hand for size comparison. The hand instantly shot back behind the door, and was replaced by its owner's looming figure as he shoved the rest of the door out of the way.

If he hadn't been so loud, you would have heard other things, such as Kendappa and Aunt Souma's jaws dropping.

He strode in just like he owned the place, and Tomoyo, after getting a better look at his features, said (without any noticeable sarcasm) "Oh, you must be the grungy, scary man. We've just been talking about you."

His eye twitched slightly.

"But", she continued, gingerly stepping in front of him and petting his face like she would an animal, "you're not _that_ ugly, so you shouldn't worry about it."

He forced himself to ignore her unintentional diversion from his familiar thoughts - and her hinting that he might actually be _ugly_. The nerve!

"Is she _always _like this?", he asked bluntly, turning to the father.

Kendappa rolled her eyes and nodded excessively.

"Yes, yes I'm afraid she is."

He shrugged. "Better than oldie", he said, cocking his head in Kendappa's direction.

"I'll take the weird one." And before she even knew what 'transaction' had taken place, she was slung over his shoulder like a sack and out the door before her bewildered family could protest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** No...no...I don't own Tsubasa Chronicle. If I did, I would mess it up. But hey, Tomoyo would definitely be one of the main characters. The only 'character' I've managed to concoct is...a kitten. And it's not even there half the time. So...yeaaah, I don't think I'm busted for that.

**Author's Note: **I should mention that this story is based on the _concept_ of the Beauty & the Beast fairytale - not the story word for word, or scene for scene. So it won't exactly be a Disney flick, either. Just so we're clear. Okay, back to being goofy and half-serious!

Also, if any of you are having trouble imagining Kurogane as ugly - just mentally stick a unibrow on him. That usually works for me.

#############

She scanned the wooden, four-post bed (the...rotting...one), thick curtains that blocked out the sunlight, the musty smell, the rustic furnishing - all _very_ red. This palace was divided into two sections: the newly renovated section and...the older, rundown section - the side her room just _happened_ to be in. Maybe the place hadn't been lived in for, oh, about a decade or two? Apparently it was where she would be living for...hmm, what did the man say? For the rest of her life? Right, right.

She realized that he was still standing there in the doorway after showing her in like some shy little boy (the type of shy where you just stand there...staring someone down), obviously waiting for her to say she liked it.

The situation was awkward. She couldn't help sounding even more awkward.

"It's, um, uncouth...?"

Apparently he didn't know what the word meant either, so she was safe. Tomoyo forced a smile and politely asked if she could explore the rest of the castle; he had given her a _very_ quick tour.

"Yeah, sure, whatever - just don't 'explore' past dark."

She turned her glistening, violet eyes his way, clearly fascinated and annoyed at the same time.

"Why's that? Do you think I'm scared of the dark or something?"

"Oh yeah - especially since the boogieman lives here," he replied, smirking, in an ominous tone. To him, she looked like the type to be scared like a little kid.

She stared blankly, like she would if he had been talking about an aluminum foil monster.

"That's just...not that scary...maybe you should try that on a little kid?"

Well, it was worth a shot. He glanced sideways at her, trying to keep his standard 'I'm disinterested' look. Maybe, just maybe...

He tentatively formed his next question.

"So, you're not...afraid of anything..._unusual?_ Things other people think are, you know, _repulsive_?"

"It depends. As long as it's a mammal or a reptile, It doesn't bother me; why do you ask?"

He quickly looked away - the reason was too embarrassing.

"Just because. Sheesh, do you need an answer to everything?"

She looked a bit sheepish.

"Sorry, I ask too many questions," she chuckled, "Papa's always saying that."

He bit back a smile.

"Yeah, it's official: you're weird."

While her uprooting from home took place, they had managed to exchange names.

He scowled. If he didn't already regret telling her his name, he would soon; she would probably just tell him pointless things and insert his name somewhere, like 'Kurogane, you're such a ninja!' or 'so, what mayhem are you working on today, Mr. Ninja?'

He shuddered; her being here could be disastrous, and probably ten times worse than he could imagine. That was the worst part; not being able to imagine it was a smack in his ego's face. He wondered if, had it not been for the curse, would he have bothered finding her? He exhaled, irritated.

Until he saw a fully covered lump in the bed not six feet in front of him, snoozing away (or more accurately, 'snoozling' - she made this sort of bizarre, high-pitched trill), little tendrils of her inky hair sprawled in every direction. Now he was genuinely amazed. Amazed how she could even **breathe**.

"Awww, ain't it cute! Kuro-sama's got a girl with him!"

Kurogane jumped at the sudden high-pitched, male voice (which he knew only too well) that came from the hall behind; he rolled his eyes and propped his elbow on the door frame, which with his height, meant he pretty much filled in as a human roadblock.

"Oh, come on! I wanna see the new girl, too! Kuro-puro's just hogging her all to himself," Fay pouted.

"Nope. Just shielding her from _your_ obnoxious self."

"Oh, really?" the blondie-man's blue eyes glinted mischievously, "And since when has Kuro-kuro had a cute girl in his possession? I, uh, thought you couldn't get along with females, eh, eh? She must be cute."

That was it. Every last. Single shred. Of patience. Kurogane only had to cock the sheath back from his sword (the sword he never let out of his sight) a centimeter before Fay fled, waving his arms wildly and laughing, with mocking shouts of 'He's gonna kill meee!'

Tomoyo smiled to herself as she drifted back to sleep listening to the (slightly) muffled crashes and bellows her new guardian created. She let out a sigh of relief and thought, _'I was afraid it was going to be boring here; I could get used to this.'_

**Author's Note:** I just love how the word 'uncouth' sounds so couth.

I'd like to thank all of my reviewers very much, you made me smile and gave me motivation to write this chapter; I know it's not much, but I hope you enjoy it! It's nice to know someone gets my weird sense of humor.

- NamiEmi


	3. Chapter 3

"Wakey wakey, Tomoyo, To-mo-yo, Tomoyo, To-mo-yo, Tomoyo..."

Tomoyo groaned; she wanted to get back to her nice dream. The thing was, something kept hopping up and down on top of her (though not heavy enough to actually hurt), chanting her name in a sing-song style. And it wouldn't stop. She squinted and sat up.

What met her eyes was a white, rabbit-looking (though more egg shaped) creature with its eyes shut. It quit its wild jumping and popped its blue peepers open at her, shouting "Puu, puu! Tomoyo's awake!"

Maybe this was another dream, she groggily thought. So as we all do in dreams, she went along with it. Even if the rabbit-type thing was dragging her to her doom.

"Yes, but where are we (she couldn't help letting out a yawn) going?"

"Tomoyo's tummy is saying 'rumble rumble', right?"

"Mmm-hmm." She was still only half awake.

"Mokona has whipped up one of her 108 culinary specials! Hurry, hurry! Everyone else is waiting!"

Tomoyo only nodded and smiled; she had woken up almost completely by now, though she still didn't bother to wonder how a rabbit could make breakfast. They had almost circled the bend in the hall outside Tomoyo's room and gone down the first set of stairs (there were seven stories; her room was on the sixth), when Mokona stopped abruptly, nearly tripping Tomoyo.

"Whoops, Mokona almost forgot!" A backtracking, hair-fixing, a black kimono later (which was the only choice of clothing in her dresser), and Tomoyo was ready for real.

"Hey, Mokona? When you said 'everyone else', did you mean...there are others here besides Kurogane?"

"Of course; Tomoyo didn't know? There are lots and lots of other fun people to meet!"

By the time they reached the third floor where the (surprisingly) pastel-colored kitchen was located, she had already met two 'others':  
>Chi and Sakura. She took a shine to Sakura almost at once, with a gleam in one eye and both hands clasped to her heart.<p>

"Awww! Sakura-chan? Can I call you Sakura-chan? Let's be friends, okay?"

Sakura looked a little bewildered, but soon collected herself again and smiled kindly at Tomoyo. She had already been told by Fay that Tomoyo was odd in a cute way (or was it cute in an odd way?), but now she had proof.

"Yes, let's!...and can I call you Tomoyo...chan?"

"Of course!"

Further conversation was cut short by Tomoyo's stomach gurgling; she blushed, embarrassed, and sat down at the table in the seat Fay had pulled up for her. Nothing could have prepared her for the _interesting_ variety of food she was served. She wasn't sure if you were supposed to make ramen...with...jell-o noodles...for breakfast; but then, she had never been good at cooking, so she couldn't really judge someone else's.

Tomoyo had barely started eating when Mokona popped up again out of nowhere, waving a tapered baton in the air.

"Listen, everyone! Mokona is going to teach Tomoyo _all_ she needs to know about _all_ of you."

First she pointed with the baton over to Syaoran, who had just walked in carrying another dish.  
>"That's Syaoran; he'll be Tomoyo's waiter whenever she's hungry. He's really into books and old stuff, so he's really smart."<p>

Chi had just finished wiping down the last specks from the dining area, and she was pointed to next.  
>"That's Chi, Tomoyo's maid. She's the pretty blonde. If Tomoyo ever needs man advice, go to her."<p>

Tomoyo turned a light shade of pink. She doubted she would ever need that sort of advice, so she chuckled good-naturedly and thought nothing more of it.

The baton was then aimed squarely at Fay, who was tuning an upright piano.  
>"Fay's the pianist and all-around comic relief, but he's not very good at the first."<p>

She giggled and whispered, "Then why is he still the pianist?"  
>"Because Kuro-puu has no musical talent, even Fay's 'plink plunk' on the piano sounds like a professional - and no one else wants to do it. And they've been friends since they were itty bitty, so Kuro-puu's used to his jokes."<p>

"That's why they get along so well," she smiled.

The last victim was Sakura, busily hand sewing in between eating some sort of fish.  
>"And Sakura is Tomoyo's seamstress; she's been slacking, so that's why Tomoyo has to wear<br>'Kuro-puu's-old-old-kimono-from-when-he-was-twelve' today."

Sakura looked up apologetically "Sorry, Tomoyo-chan..."

Tomoyo smiled cheerfully at her.  
>"That's all right; I can actually make my own clothes. I <em>was<em> beginning to wonder why it fit so funny."  
>She paused for a moment, then asked "And what about Kurogane? Doesn't he eat?"<p>

"Oh, he does," Fay piped up, "Just not here; his room is on the top floor, so he doesn't like to come down unless absolutely necessary."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, I don't think he likes the decor in here, either."

"Then why doesn't he change it?"

"Doesn't feel like it, I guess."

As if Fay's words had summoned him, heavy footsteps reverberated on the stairs behind them. Kurogane's tall, dark figure emerged (she noticed he had to lower his head because the stairway frame had been made for someone half a foot shorter), and everyone, even Tomoyo who didn't know his moods yet, could see by his furrowed brow and his twitching eye that something had set him off.

In one hand he held a covered dish like the ones Syaoran had been serving her. He stomped over to the fridge, opened it, scanned its contents, and snatched a bottle.

"Well, well, well," Fay snickered, "I guess our little Tomoyo's become an 'absolutely necessary' reason."

But instead of sitting down with the rest of them and fawning over Tomoyo as all of them (except her) expected, he grouchily commented "You forgot to send ketchup up. "

"...Or...not..." Fay faltered.

She leaned over in her seat to get a better view of what he was dunking the ketchup over. All she could tell was that it looked _really_ black, like it was burned or something.  
>Without thinking, she curiously asked what he was eating.<p>

Chi mechanically turned her head sideways from her cleaning.  
>Syaoran dropped one of the glasses he'd been holding. Fortunately, it wasn't real glass.<br>Fay plunked one of the notes too hard and even more off-key than usual.  
>Sakura almost pricked her finger.<br>They wanted to tell Tomoyo that no one ever questioned Kurogane's abnormal food choice. But they were too interested in what his reaction would be if it was.

"Whadija say?"

His brow only went up higher.

"Oh," she replied sweetly, "I was just wondering what you were eating - it looks like charcoal."

"Steak. And it's better than that pile of crap _you're_ eating" he shot back, indicating the third course  
>(or was it fourth? She'd lost count) Mokona 'creation', a leaning tower of miniature octopus. At least she never got the same dish twice; none of the ingredients were the same as the last, either.<p>

Kurogane retraced a few steps, craning his head at Tomoyo.  
>"And is that my old, old kimono? Am I givin' hand-me-downs now?"<br>He stalked back upstairs, mumbling to himself. When Syaoran was sure that Kurogane had left, he informed her that up 'til now, no one (except himself, of course) had known what the burnt object Kurogane always ate for breakfast was.

"He's pretty bizarre that way; even though we're his servants, we don't know much more about him than you do.  
>Who knows? Maybe he'll open up more to you, Tomoyo-san."<p>

"I'm certainly willing to try."

* * *

><p>After everything had been cleared away, Chi pulled Tomoyo aside and explained a slight predicament.<p>

"Can Chi ask Tomoyo-san a favor? You see, Sakura just finished mending several pieces of Kurogane-sama's clothing and, well..."

Tomoyo took both of Chi's hands in her own, gently pushing her to continue.

"Chi knows it's her job, but Chi and Sakura are both too scared to take them to him!  
>Could Tomoyo-san...do it?"<p>

Tomoyo blinked.  
>"Was that all? Ohoho, you had me going there for a second!"<br>She pointed to the stack Chi clutched, "I just take these to the top floor, right? I'll be back in a jiffy!"

And just like that, she was gone. The two girls eyed her as she took step after step.  
>"...Why does Chi have the feeling she's just sent a lamb to the slaughter?"<p>

Sakura wiped a tear away.  
>"It was nice knowing you, Tomoyo-chan..."<p>

* * *

><p>Tomoyo couldn't decide if it might also be taboo to so much as look at Kurogane's apparel (maybe it was some holy item or something), and since she was already touching it, it must be safe to hold; so she kept looking resolutely ahead.<br>Finally, after about five coils of the winding staircase, she reached the very top.

She had assumed that the top floor would be nothing but one big anteroom, but she quickly discovered that instead it was a series of hallways (sometimes with a dead end thrown in) with sliding, paper panels. There seemed to be some sort of story painted on them; it looked like one she'd read as a child.

At first she kept on going straight, hoping his room would be near the end and all the left and right turns were just for show; there was an end, but it was also very dead.  
>She bit her lip, pondering what to do next.<p>

"Maybe if I leave his clothes on the floor, he can pick them up later."  
>She certainly wasn't getting anywhere (not to mention she was getting irritated), so this sounded pretty reasonable.<p>

As she stooped over to lay them down, the heel of her right foot caught on something. crunched, causing her to glance down.

Before she could see what it was, a pair of bare feet appeared in her peripheral vision.  
>"Oh thank goodness, I've found y-" she blinked, peered closer at him, and burst out giggling. The reason for this was she was staring at his coarse face.<br>Not coarse as in in he was a mean, pseudo-villain. Coarse as in his face was, well...he hadn't shaved it.  
>We're talking a full beard. Or at least as full as he could possibly make it (more like a scraggly goatee).<p>

"So uh," she said in between failed attempts at gagging her laughter, "Here you go."  
>He nodded, excepting them a little awkwardly.<br>"And...", she said, scooping up the shattered something she had stepped on, "I think I broke your...whatever this is."

He took one look at it and dumped it back out of her hands. She noticed it glimmered as it fell.  
>"It's nothing," he said in an <span>extremely<span> obvious voice.

"Really? Because it looks kind of like-"  
>"Nothing!" he insisted.<br>"All right, it's nothing. But when am I actually going to see your room? You've shown me every other inch of this place except up here," she said, smiling angelically.

He closed his eyes and began to rattle off some excuse; that was a mistake. He opened them again moments later to find that she had already wandered off. His eyes widened as he jerked his head to look behind him: Yup, she was strolling in the right direction, unfortunately.

**Author's Note:** Whew! I really hope you guys like it!  
>I have a feeling it may have been boring in the second half...so if anyone could give me feedback on that, I'd appreciate it. ^.^<p>

I'd also like to thank _Fauxfire101 _for the tip on Mokona.  
>Believe it or not, that actually hadn't occurred to me...X3<br>Thank you for reading! :3

- NamiEmi


	4. Chapter 4

Tomoyo made the last steps toward what she believed to be (and Kurogane's glower as she looked back confirmed her suspicion) the entrance to his room; she didn't manage to get any farther than that because within a few strides he scooped her up (not unlike a bride over the threshold) and set her back down so that her view of what lay inside was permanently (as long as he stood there) blocked.

Unfortunately for him, she didn't take the hint; he had to pick her up a second, third, and yes, even fourth time.  
>Unknown to the two of them, Syaoran and Fay had returned from cleaning Kurogane's various katana (he collected all sorts). Since Tomoyo hadn't come back down for a long time, they had been sent to see what had happened. So now two peeping toms had their eyes poking through convenient peepholes inside one of the rooms with sliding doors - which of course were the set with the best look-out point.<p>

"They're having their first fight, Syaoran-kun!" he exclaimed in delight.

"Are you sure? It doesn't look like it..."

"Of course! I'm an expert on relationships; you should have more faith!"

But Syaoran wasn't paying attention anymore. His gaze was fixed ahead.

"Oh...that can't be good..."

"Ooo, ooo, ooo! Lemme see!" Fay scooted into Syaoran's set of eyeholes, which were closer. Through them, he peered as Tomoyo actually took Kurogane by the hand and said something - by the look on her face, she must have been imploring the 'just for a minute' excuse.

"Interesting...so she's going to find out whether he likes it or not."

"That's what I was afraid of..." Syaoran said resignedly. "You know he's going to blame all of us, right?"

"Yeah...Ohhh, what do we have here?" He narrated. "She's actually convinced him!...maybe...yes! She must be asking about that pile of scales he's got in the corner. Wonder how he's gonna get out of that one. Oh. He isn't. Wow, she's really got a handle on him."

Much to his dismay, she picked up a scale and examined it closely. Her eyes lit up as realization washed over her.

"You have a pet! Reptile, right?"

"Uh...yeah. You got me," he said sarcastically.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Kuro-roo."

"Since when is that my name?"

"Since now; it happens to be my term of endearment for you."

The endearment part didn't seem to click and it only made him lower his eyes a fraction.

"Yeah, well, I've already got one idiot using 'terms'. I don't need another."

"It's so pretty, don't you think?"

She had already moved the conversation away to more important matters; and right now, that was the view of the outside he never paid attention to. Above the horizon, the atmosphere had started turning a hazy mixture of darkening blue-gray; above that lay the nearly black sky, with stars beginning to poke out one by one.

He'd seen day turn into night the 9,521 days his life had afforded, but never, ever, ever had he been given the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the view from his balcony.  
><em>And<em> he finally had a convenient chance to stand beside her and wrap an arm around her _and_ be semi-romantic as she leaned out over the rim - but that just wasn't his style - or any guy's, for that matter.

Plus everybody knows girls are chock full of cooties that suck the testosterone level right out of you.

So, being the mean grumpy-face (as Fay occasionally dubbed him) that he was, he naturally turned this offer down.

"Now I see why you must like staying up here all the time. I wouldn't want to leave all this either."

"That's not-" he stopped himself. It was pointless arguing over the sappy things she would sometimes say. Then he noticed her face as she said it: She was smiling impishly. This girl really knew how to push your buttons.

"You keep to yourself, right? I'm kind of the same way, too. Kuro-roo doesn't have to tell me why. But can I ask you something else?"

"Not like I've got much of a choice."

"I had a dream last night; in it, there's this person who comes to my room and stands by my window, away from my bed, with his back facing me. He starts to talk - so soft that I can't hear what he's saying at first.  
>But when I finally do understand the words, they're reassuring. He talks like he's just getting to know me. Instead of pointing out my faults, he tells me all the qualities he's discovered about me for the day that he admires. It was..." she paused with a far-off look in her eyes, "nice."<p>

Tomoyo glanced at him meaningfully. "So my question is, do you think it's really a dream I was having? It wasn't someone who lives here and who thought I was asleep when they said those embarrassing things that were contrary to their nature?"

"How should I know? You're reading into a simple dream way too much."

She shook her head, like she was trying to clear it. "I guess you're right. Let's go back, okay? I think we must have been up here for hours and hours since the sun's setting all the way."

"Go back where? I'm the recluse, remember?"

"But you should at least spend dinner with your friends! Come on, I'll race you downstairs!" She urged.

He smirked confidently. What a simple challenge _that_ would be.

"It's on."

* * *

><p>Chi sat serenely sipping a cup of tea. This was one of the few breaks she could take during the day, and she was basking in it. She could take a big breath of fresh air and not have to worry about a commotion happening anytime soon. Syaoran and Fay had already come running downstairs to inform both girls about how well Tomoyo and Kurogane were starting to get along. Tomoyo had been kind to her, so that hadn't come as much of a surprise. And now everything was quiet.<p>

Quiet...

Quiet...

She closed her eyes and relaxed back into the chair.

Quiet...

Quiet...

Quiet...

Ba-dump-ba-bump-CRASH!

She cracked one eye open. What she saw was the last thing in the world she would have expected: There stood Kurogane on one step, a bit out of breath, yet laughing. Yes, _laughing_. Not very hard or loud, but still...he was _laughing._ Her view roamed a moment before she was able to find Tomoyo collapsed on the stairs on her back.

"I win!" She squealed triumphantly. Her right foot was sticking out a bit farther than the other, and it touched where the staircase ended and polished floor began - which was the designated finish line.

"Yeah, yeah, you got lucky."

Chi couldn't believe her ears. That was just about the nicest tone he had ever used, especially to Tomoyo. Chi had been under the impression they were mortal enemies, but here they were playing (though Kurogane was quick to revert to his old self when he realized they had an audience) like five-year-olds. Huh. And she'd only been here six weeks.

_Interesting..._

* * *

><p>When dinner finally did roll around, everyone was as surprised as ever when Kurogane silently slid into his seat at the head of the table, placing Tomoyo by the hand into the next seat. The food had definitely been cooked by someone else this time, she noticed; it was too normal to be Mokona.<p>

Plus Mokona hadn't sampled her own cooking earlier, which should have been a sign to Tomoyo; the little creature had a white napkin tied around its egg circumference where its throat would have been. Every time Tomoyo scooped something new onto her plate, Kurogane would ask her how she liked it.

She guessed he must have had nothing better to do since he had cleaned his plate within minutes. She, on the other hand, had barely started a second bite.  
>She chuckled to herself to think that the first conversation he initiated with her was about food.<p>

Poor guy. He really didn't know how to talk to girls, did he?

But here was a chance to speak and not be drowned out by Kendappa - unlike at home. Tomoyo really was starting to like these people, and she wanted to find out everything she possibly could about them.

She learned Sakura and Syaoran were unofficially (to each other) an item; Mokona could sprout wings 10 times its size and open its mouth so that nearly all of its body resembled a black hole; Fay pretended he couldn't whistle; Chi was actually an android (shocker!).

"And what about you, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura shyly asked.

"Hmmmm...my...hair...grows longer every time it's cut?"

Naturally, Fay wanted proof. He snatched up Sakura's sewing scissors and snip-snip-snip-snip-snip-snip (it _was_ a lot of hair to go through) cut her waist length hair to her shoulders.  
>It grew to her feet within seconds.<p>

"Wow, it really does," he shrugged, tossing the scissors away carelessly.

And Kurogane? Well, she couldn't get any secret out of him, but she was determined to find it out. But that would have to wait: The idle chatter had moved to each individual's family life.

"So tell us, Tomoyo-chan, what's your family like?" Fay rested his chin on his hand.

Her mind went blank; should she really tell them what she thought about her family?

"Uh...Papa...is..." she searched for the right word, "very...stressed."

"Oh, so kind of like Kurgs here?"

"Right."

"And sister is...pretty."

"Oh, so kind of like me?"

"Right."

"And Aunt Souma is...understanding."

"Oh, so kind of like Syaoran-kun?"

Right."

"And Mama is...dutiful."

"Oh, so kind of like Chi?"

"Right."

"And Sakura-chan is so...so cute!"

"Oh, so kind of like you?"

Kurogane facepalmed.

"Looks like you aren't that far from home then." Fay pointed out. "You've found people who match up with your family members. And I'm sure Kurgie will do everything he can to keep you from being lonely," he winked.

She felt her face warm - but not from embarrassment. She gave bewildered Kurogane one grateful look.

"I know."

The moment was interrupted by Mokona's head spontaneously popping out from Kurogane's coat collar.

"What about Mokona? Mokona is the cutest of all!"

Two monstrous hands encircled Mokona, ready to...well, she didn't really know what. It turned out to be nothing overtly violent, as he just flicked the creature off like a fly, causing Mokona to do the whole  
>'bounce around the room like a pinball in a pinball machine' stunt.<p>

"Um yeah, it...does that a lot," he owned.

"How cute! Mokona must really like you!"

"Yeah, and I really like manju steak."

"Mokona is not a manju! (and Mokona doesn't think there is such a thing as manju steak)" it protested, "Kurgie's going to eat Mokona! Help!" and dashed beneath Tomoyo's skirts; she had been able to get a proper change of clothes today - although these were an antiquated European influence. Mokona knew Kurogane wouldn't dare (if he was any kind of non-pervert) to look under there.

It was a safe guess.

* * *

><p>Now that she had become more comfortable with her new surroundings, Tomoyo set to work at once on the mischief she was known for making at home.<p>

She didn't _consciously _think 'I want to make trouble', but there were so many things in the Kuro-castle that needed...sprucing up. And when you see everything decorated in black, black, the occasional red, black...you would want to change it too; so she did.

It's funny how a few purple curtains and fluffy plush can change your outlook on...how annoyed you can become; Kurogane was one of those people.

"Tomoyooo!"

It had become a routine. He would yell, she would come in grinning, the grin with insolence mixed in.  
>He just couldn't understand how she could be so...so...cute...yet so...SO...smart-alecky.<br>He was seriously beginning to think she was more trouble than she was worth.

Now he knew why her Dad had been so willing to give that daughter up. Why did he always get the short end of the stick again?

Oh, right: because he was cursed. In his mind's eye he fixed on the exact day it had happened. Actually, had things been different, he still would have remembered that day just for the fact that he first made a sandwich that didn't blow up in his face (no, literally, he was just that bad).

But he remembered it now for an entirely different reason.

It had been a stormy day. Even back then he still lived in this sprawling mansion. His Mom and Dad hammered into his head over and over not to talk to strangers, especially before they left to go out for a friend's party.

"Now Kurogane, don't burn down half the house like last time," she had chided. "Your Father almost lost an arm trying to salvage your last experiment."

"It was an accident, Mother, I swear! I was only trying to cook this gross bird-demon thing and it...kinda...blew up; I mean, I meant for it to blow up...but I didn't expect it to that _quickly_."

His Dad's hand ruffled his spiky hair. "Son, you need a new hobby." Then, lowering his voice, "But show your old man how it works sometime."

Kurogane gave a toothy smile.

A few hours after they had gone, he heard the _tamp tamp tamp_ of the door knocker. Squinting through one of many blurry, sloped windows situated at an angle away from the main door, he could make out a stooped figure. He unhooked the iron latch that held the bars across the door.

He spoke into a mouthpiece that stretched through a hole between door layers. It always embarrassed him to use it - it was after all, huge and clunky, and he was, after all, already 12 1/2...but his Mom insisted.

When she said he couldn't talk to strangers face-to-face (even in his own home), she meant it.

He noticed the someone outside was completely drenched from head to toe. His Mom would have a fit over the water that was seeping onto her nice clean patio.

This someone also had long, black hair and the most stoic face he had ever seen. Their equally red eyes stared each other down. Finally, the someone picked up the mouthpiece on the other end and spoke in a low feminine voice.

"Aren't you going to let me in, child? It's getting uncomfortable out here."

"Nope. Mother says I'm not allowed. Besides, you look creepy."

"What a rude little boy you are. I'm cold and wet, and you still won't let me in out of the goodness of your heart?"

"That's right."

"You'll regret it."

"Probably, but that's just how it is."

"I could catch a cold and die."

"Not my problem."

"Well," she huffed, "remember this: because you couldn't show kindness to someone in need, you will become, in the dark of each night, a dragon; and because of this curse, you will, upon reaching your 27th birthday, die. There is, however, a way out: You must find a girl who is the exact opposite of yourself; to your callous, ungrateful, selfish self, she will be understanding, thankful, and giving. You must each give some part of your happiness to the other. That's the only way you'll become normal again."

Kurogane was stunned; this lady was awfully touchy, he thought. First she complained and then started spouting off a curse? Weird. The part about a dragon sounded pretty sweet - minus the dying part. But the point after that made him sick.

"Um, Miss? Can't I just be a dragon and _then_ die?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"But you said I'd have to find a...(shudder shudder) girl...can't I just die?"

"You mean you _don't want_ the way out? You'd rather die than have a little girlfriend? Fascinating!"

"...I'm 12. And you'd curse a kid just because he was doing what his Mother told him? Really?"

"Oh. You look 18...anyway," she said (and at this point he realized she really did curse people on a whim), "I should mention that neither you nor anyone else is allowed to tell her how to break the whole curse thing. It's more FUN that way!"

"But I'm still allowed to grow old by myself and die if I want, right?"

**Author's Note: Yes. He's a dwagon. Kurogane sure was a cute lil kid in the series, so I wanted to capture a little of that in this chapter. I feel pretty bad for not updating in awhile, so...here's something for your brain to snack on! Maybe this chapter made you laugh, or smile, or just go "..." But that's okay.**

**I accept any and all _constructive_ criticism. I hope you liked it! Thanks for your time! :3**

- NamiEmi


	5. Chapter 5

Three months had gone by, and what still kept bothering her was that pesky idea of a debt she must owe Kurogane. After all, he was essentially giving her free food, clothes, friends(?), and room; this annoyed her to no end. Maybe he thought she was secretly rich or something and was waiting to pop a big fat bill in her face. He did seem like the type to go for rich girls - only to dump them later.

Whatever it was, she wasn't keen on the fact she still didn't know that much about him. The more she thought about this, the more she began to think she might need reinforcements, as in, sister advice.  
>But there was the problem: which 'sister' to ask? Her real sister; Sakura; Chi...Mokona...?<p>

There was no way to contact Kendappa other than a letter - but Tomoyo never felt comfortable writing to her sister under normal circumstances, and she knew the subject matter would be deciphered as the "Tomoyo's Love Life" column in Kendappa's mind. She wrote it anyway. It started off with something like the usual greetings and questions about how the family was and near the middle went something like, "Sister, do I seem rich?" and ended with something like, "Don't laugh..."

Sometimes she hated being the youngest.

She decided she wouldn't mention it to Sakura or Chi, because she suspected they were in on "it" - whatever "it" was. Now, Mokona, on the other hand...coaxing a secret out of it would be easy (it sucked up any and all sweets).

She hadn't taken into account how _many_ sweets it would take to get Mokona talking, though: Three hundred twenty-four puff pastries later, Mokona was on the biggest sugar high a rabbit-thing can possibly withstand without imploding.

"Mokona will never tell!" It wheezed (fattening, sugary sweets can be bad, kids).

"Oh really?", she said, hovering the plate of cake over the trash. "What if I-"

"-He sings "_I'll Be Seeing You_" when he's alone in the bath! There, Mokona said it! JUST PLEASE DON'T KILL THE CAKE!"

"That works," Tomoyo thought. She couldn't help feeling disappointed - after all, she had been hoping for some embarrassing secret with which to blackmail Kurogane. "I guess I should feel like I have some juicy secret of his, but...that's not quite what I had in mind...

* * *

><p>"Tomoyo-chan, if you stare at that tree much longer, you'll want to cry."<p>

She turned around from her place atop the balcony rail to see the most cheerful of the group, *Fay, looking back at her. He had his usual dark suit and burgundy tie on, which would come in handy if he had to suddenly wait tables (although this was out of his job description).

"It's not _that _ugly; it's only malnourished." She smiled.

He considered her for a moment, then the sickly sakura tree that stood secluded. It had been planted in the best location possible; shaded a bit by other trees and planted in good soil but receiving zero upkeep.

He put on his best teasing smirk. "You know something about gardening, Tomoyo-chan?"

She shook her head lightly, and he knew by that twinkle in her eye that she was hatching something.  
>"No, but I know what my next project will be," she said, adding quickly, "but I'll probably need some help..."<p>

Fay's face lit up like a kid in a candy store. "Ooo, ooo! I bet Syaoran-kun has some scholarly tome on the subject!"

And with that, a project was formed by the five of them - this was meant to be a surprise to the grumpy one, so he was temporarily excluded. Sakura and Chi both agreed on how long it had been since they were able to actually have fun with all of them working together as a group.

By the end of that first day the tree looked presentable. More would have to be done over the next couple of days, but for now it looked like a work of art compared with how it had been.

One could definitely tell that a lot of work had been put into it. But that wasn't what Tomoyo remembered most. Maybe it was the way Chi had sometimes lost her balance while pruning half the tree, and Fay, from out of nowhere, gleefully (albeit conveniently) pushed a lawn chair for her to fall into (often this had humorous but disastrous results in how she landed.)

* * *

><p>Afterwards, they were so tired and grimy that a bath was in order. There was only one bath in the entire house, which Syaoran politely offered to the girls first. Kurogane had evidently retired to his room so there was no worry about him questioning why they were so filthy.<p>

As each girl slipped in they let out a contented sigh as the sudsy water enveloped them up to their shoulders. It quickly became evident that Tomoyo's hair (and Chi's, for that matter) had to be put up to keep from soaking up all the water. Now that the girls were alone, Tomoyo directed a certain question at Chi that had been bouncing around in her head nearly all day.

"Sooo...Fay's all lovey-dovey about you, eh, Chi? Ehhh?" She playfully jabbed her elbow into Chi's arm. Now Sakura was equal parts pleasantly shocked and interested. They were let down, though, because Chi's reaction wasn't exactly what either had expected.

"Chi doesn't understand - what does that mean?"

"Oh, you know: it just means he likes you." Now Chi only looked more bewildered. "But what does _that_ mean?"

Tomoyo's teasing smile lessened. It had never occurred to her that Chi, the most mature of the girls, could be naive in the ways of lovey-dovey. Poor thing didn't even have the word "like" in her vocabulary. She felt even more sorry for Fay, liking a girl who could have the innocence of a little kid but the prim attitude of an adult, depending on the situation.

_There would be some pretty hilarious issues if those two ever had a relationship_, Tomoyo chuckled to herself. _Too bad Fay won't risk it unless he has to-  
><em>

"Tomoyo-chan?" It was Sakura who interrupted Tomoyo's borderline passion for matchmaking (a disorder, really), and she realized a moment too late that the other two had asked her a question.

"Oh. Sorry. You were saying?"

"We asked if you liked living here, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura clarified, suddenly serious (making her look at least ten years older.) Chi nodded, but she obviously still didn't comprehend "like".

"Of course!"

The two girls exchanged hopeful looks she didn't understand. Okay, now something freaky was going on - and she was pretty sure it wasn't about her sinfully long hair (because, hey, Chi was almost as guilty.)

"A-and Tomoyo wants to stay with us?" Chi chimed in. They were both not even trying to be polite, staring at her like that.

She wanted to say "Duh" but stuck to "Yes...? What's this all about?"

They suddenly wouldn't make eye contact with her - very suspicious.

"Pleeease? I thought we were friends."

Sakura's eyes grew wide and joyful. She looked at Chi and whispered (not a low enough whisper because Tomoyo still heard it) "You heard her say it, right? _Friends_!" Chi happily agreed and Tomoyo all of a sudden found herself being hugged and thanked over and over. She was still kind of in the dark, but she couldn't stop smiling because they were smiling. She hadn't smiled and laughed this much since Kendappa had hiccuped like a frog for an hour after eating too fast.

Sakura spoke apologetically as if she had just remembered something.

"I know Kurogane-san isn't very nice to you, Tomoyo-chan, but-"

"-No, no! Kurogane has been spending more and more time with Tomoyo; Chi saw it."

"I never noticed that! Are you sure?"

"Positive!"

"So...he's actually being..._nice_?"

"_Kurogane__-__nice_ is inferior to _nice_..."

"True...But still..."

Tomoyo thought what a shame it was she didn't have any popcorn to go along with this near-cinematic scene. She tried once or twice to inject a word of her own into the conversation but they were in their own gleeful trance. She quietly slipped out, wrapping a towel around herself and sitting on the bath's rim. They stopped talking, startled, and started laughing again - a welcome change from all the apologizing they would have done before.

"You know," Tomoyo started, "if Kurogane spends time with me..." she got up and started walking away to change. "...It's only because I let him," she winked.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back on the boys' end, Syaoran and Fay were trying to convince the grumpy one (recently awakened) not to personally murder them for letting the girls go first. He didn't ask why the whole group was dirty, surprisingly. Syaoran politely voiced what they were all thinking at the moment. "Gosh, they've been in there a long time..."<p>

"Yeah, they'll probably look like prunes when they come out - except Chi of course."

Kurogane rolled his eyes. He'd been friends with Fay long enough to know when the guy had that stupid grin plastered on his face it was always over a girl. Fay had countless stupid grins and yet Kurogane had categorized them all.

Over the course of ten years Fay had acquired many girlfriends, but each time was quickly dropped by them after the first couple months. Their reasons had pretty much been the same: too little effort; he never pulled his weight in the relationships. Kurogane could have told them that if they'd only taken the time to stop cowering behind Fay and saying things like "your friend looks like a yakuza".

Did he really look so scary? If so, it didn't seem to affect Tomo- uh, that other girl. He shrugged it off; she was probably one of those girls who read books about sparkly vampires so her tolerance for scary must be high. Consequently if she went for sparkly vampires then he was doomed (he was too tan).

* * *

><p>"AH-CHOO!"<p>

Tomoyo had gone upstairs to her room after her bath (Chi and Sakura had to get back to work) and had been playing chess with Mokona when it happened: The gargantuan sneeze. Unfortunately the force of the sneeze blew away some of the chess pieces. Tomoyo had been losing so it was no great loss to her. They started the game over after some careful wiping. Mokona remarked "Someone must be talking about you, Tomoyo - or you're sick."

"No, it's just a little cold in here," she said, sniffling (it was already mid-winter). "I guess the insulation doesn't work in this section of the castle." That was all the furry little rabbit-thing needed to hear. "Mokona will be riiight back!" It bounded away downstairs, two steps at a time, and was out of sight before Tomoyo could say another word. She gently shook her head as if to say "What am I going to do with you", and even that made her tired. Maybe she _was_ getting sick. Mokona returned soon enough, dragging behind it an enormous red blanket.

"Here ya go, Tomoyo! Isn't Mokona so thoughtful?"

Tomoyo gratefully nodded and accepted the gift. It was so bulky, though, that no matter which way she tucked it into her bed it wouldn't stay. She finally draped it across the bed posts so it looked more like a cave than a bed. She was satisfied as she surveyed it. It looked just like the "caves" she and her sister used to make using all the pillows, furniture, and blankets in their house.

It was a sad day when Kendappa had decided she was too old for it.

"It's perfect!"

Her mission completed, she returned to the chess game (Mokona still won, but this was later blamed on the fact Tomoyo felt sick).

She decided to go to bed earlier than usual because she was starting to feel a cold coming on. She was halfway into deep sleep when she felt someone nudging her shoulder, trying to wake her. She had developed a pounding headache, making her reluctant to roll over to face whoever it was. She was met by a hand holding a cup out to her with who-knew-what inside. She didn't have to squint up at his face to know it was Kurogane kneeling down (he had tell-tale hands). "Wha...?" She managed.

"Drink it." He said it so simply she speculated if it was poison or something. It certainly smelled like it as she raised the cup to her lips, grimaced, and took a swig. No surprise here - even the texture of the liquid was disgusting.

But after a few minutes she did start to feel better (don't you wish your cold medicine worked as fast?). She gave him that look, the one she used to say thank you. He glanced away, saying something along the lines of "You looked pathetic".

"Oh, and by the way," he grabbed a fistful of the blanket, "guess _who _snatched _this_ off _whose_ bed?"

"...Mokona snatched the blanket off her own bed?"

Apparently that was the wrong answer. She tried to explain she wasn't an accomplice in the act, but...that didn't go over so well. His temper might have gotten the best of him if she hadn't at the same moment encircled her arms around him, grinning almost like usual (remember, she's sick). He knew he should feel like he had accomplished something (and she was kinda the necessary ingredient for his not dying...), but he didn't. Also the curse would take effect at midnight.

"Kurogane..." she said, pulling away to look him in the eyes (needless to say he was getting a little more than uncomfortable). She even started tearing up (whether this was due to emotion or sickness, he didn't know).

"...Ah..." she continued with an odd pause.

_What?_

"...Ah..."

_WHAT?_

Now he was getting impatient. Who did she think she was, hugging him at weird times (and with sick cooties, no less)! He suddenly felt like he was trapped in a sappy romance novel...Must be the cold. Yup, definitely the cold.

"...Ah...!"

_Quit pausing; just spit it out!_

"...AH-CHOO!"

**Author's Note: Sooo it's been awhile...I feel really bad for not updating sooner...sorry about that! I tried to make this chapter extra-long to make up for it. I couldn't decide if their bath should be like a traditional Japanese bath or a humongous American one, so...I guess it's somewhere in between.  
>As always, <span>please review<span>** **and tell me if you liked it or not****.**** :D****  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

When Tomoyo awoke the next morning, she could tell something was different. If she hadn't taken the medicine last night she might have attributed this to sickness. Her room was the same; her hair; her clothes; her sparkling personality; but something still felt off. As she descended the many flights of stairs the feeling only worsened.

She arrived at the kitchen first, poking her head around every corner just in case there was a burglar in the house and no one had taken time to alert her (if there had been, she wouldn't have known what to do).

It was completely empty (of people, that is).

She rounded the next corner to reach the living room (Kurogane preferred to call it the killing room, but that was another story). She reached the room but there was one small problem: a hand covered her mouth and pulled her behind the indoor plant (which she suspected was carnivorous) in a corner of the widespread room.

She found out the hand belonged to none other than Fay, looking as carefree as usual. He was kind enough to uncup her mouth at this point.

"It's like this, Tomoyo-chan," he blurted out (she got the impression he'd been waiting for hours to divulge the secret), "we need your cooperation."

Today, he explained, was a week before Kurogane's birthday. It had to be a surprise party because, Fay reasoned, if the grumpy one got wind of it he'd refuse to celebrate.

"This year'll be different! We'll have cake and ice cream and presents and games and all the stuff he thinks he's too old for!" Fay shouted, already in 100% fun mode.

"How exciting!" Tomoyo chimed in, although inwardly she was worrying what present to give (what do you give the rich guy who has everything?)

"I hope he doesn't disown us..." came Syaoran's voice from an air vent above (only very modern castles have them).

She heard Fay chuckle, "I was kidding about hiding there, Syaoran-kun."

"Oh."

Syaoran was already preparing for the next blow up of the century. He knew Kurogane too well to believe in mercy. If they were lucky, he might only deprive them of food in their prison cell and let them out after a signed confession to their deed.

This made him recall the time he reached an eligible age to apply for apprenticeship. It wasn't until two weeks later, when Kurogane had looked over his resume (a nicely written one, too) while the young man had nervously looked on, that he was hired on the spot.

This may or may not have been because there were no other applicants (perhaps they'd noticed the "lifetime servitude" bit in the fine print).

This also may or may not have been because Kurogane, Mokona, and Fay (the only occupants at the time) were all horrible cooks.

It turned out later that Mokona wasn't really a horrible cook, just horribly unmotivated - the inclusion of Syaoran had given the animal a competitive nudge so the two bachelors and rabbit-thing could stop living off of take-out.

"You guys don't think this is a bad idea?" He questioned uneasily, getting back to the issue at hand.

Tomoyo propped her chin up with her pointer finger and thumb, weighing the consequences. One look at that all too familiar twinkle in her eye and he knew the answer. It made him think with a smile how she was rearranging things around here.

"He trusts you."

The twinkle was replaced by a gaze that could bore into your soul (one reason she never kept a date).

He hadn't meant to say it out loud. "Uh- he gets...lonely sometimes, uh, I think..."

She wore a skeptical frown. Being the youngest meant she had been tricked one too many times by her sister. "_Kurogane _gets _lonely_? He seems fine whenever I see him around."

He almost corrected her as to why that was, but thought better of it. It would be best if she found out on her own.

"He's so funny," she continued cheerily, forgetting the previous comment.

"Oh?"

"Well, last night I was really sick, and do you know what he did? He brought me this gross medicine. Now I feel bad because I sort of...sneezed on him. You'd think he's never been exposed to germs the way he acted."

As soon as she started with the phrase "gross medicine," Syaoran fell silent. Fay's whole behavior suddenly changed to a strange mixture of laughter and worry.

He called Syaoran over (this took effort since Syaoran had to squeeze himself from the vent) and they started whispering and, once in awhile, glanced suspiciously at her.

"...Do you think?" they asked, and, "...so _that's_ why."

She briefly wondered if they were talking about Kurogane's absence. The fact was, she hadn't seen him all morning - even according to his usual habits. On a normal day, if the food was good enough, he would drag himself downstairs.

They all decided to confirm their suspicions. They couldn't find him at first when they entered his room. Looking all around, they noticed a blob propped against Kurogane's bed (he's the reason they make king sized beds). There he was, associating with a thermometer and hot water bottle, not looking at all like himself.

His facial expression was easy to read if you'd known him for more than five minutes: _I'll kill her_.

"This is what we were afraid of," Syaoran softly whispered to Tomoyo. "He's never been sick like this before - even when he was little. Whenever the rest of us caught anything we were quarantined until we got over it."

"I always knew he was extreme," she agreed.

"We're used to it," he shrugged, and she wondered how long it took to get used to something like that. For her, probably never.

"Why doesn't he just use that medicine?"

"He would...except you used the last dose."

She started nervously chuckling because that's what she did in tense situations. The moment he got well he would be haunting her sleep for a while (even naps would no longer be safe). As she thought of this, it occurred to her that sometimes it's possible to nurse someone back to health. It couldn't hurt to get on his good side.

Whenever she had time during the next two weeks, she brought extra boxes of tissues up; extra water for drinking; extra pillows; extra everything.  
>She was called over to read him something to make him tired; he grudgingly admitted his cold symptoms were keeping him awake.<p>

After the first line of _The __Three Little Pigs,_ however, _she_ was the one sleeping in the chair next to his bed, her head nodding until it finally rested against his shoulder and her arms accommodated to the new headrest; it was almost cute.

There was only one thing to do now. He stealthily inched off the bed and onto the hard floor, dragging the book that had been dangling from her hand with him. The simple vocabulary would make him so bored sleep would be merciful.

Women.

* * *

><p>The day of birthday celebration finally arrived. It wasn't Kurogane's real birthday, of course. Celebration came after two weeks of his bout with the dreaded cold. Fay had a field trip decorating with the red and black theme, and it showed in the hapazardly strewn ornaments.<p>

The girls had stumbled across an old 'pin the shuriken on the ninja' game (which hadn't been played since Kurogane was 11) and thought it would be nostalgic to bring out. To top it all off, Mokona had prepared a monstrous three-tier cake (though none dared ask what the odd filling Mokona placed inside was).

"You shouldn't have," Kurogane commented wryly as he saw it all.

"Aww, gee, you're making me blush!" Fay answered. "Mokona worked really hard!" It squeaked.

"No, you _really _shouldn't have. You know I hate this kind of thing."

It was no use, though. Everyone else was determined the grumpy one would enjoy his 26th birthday even if he never spoke to them again.

* * *

><p>Kurogane closed his eyes, temporarily shutting out the nuisance known as his best friendconspiracy theorist. The conspiracy happened to be connected to a certain young female living under his roof. For the last 15 minutes the subject had revolved around her and it wasn't doing wonders for his headache.

"You've gotta strike while the girl's still available!" Fay was chattering, while Kurogane, behind the blond's back, mimicked him word-for-word.

"She's smart, kind, pretty - three attributes no perfect girl does without," he was saying.

Kurogane exhaled. He was becoming impatient with where this conversation was going. "Yeah, yeah, I know," he shrugged. "You said the same thing when we were in high school."

"Because _you_ were a coward and didn't tell that Hikaru girl you liked her back then. And then you got mad when she had the audacity to go with somebody else."

Something about the way 'coward' rolled off the fair-haired man's tongue made Kurogane's temper hit the boiling point. It was little wonder. Their friendship had been going long enough for each to know which buttons to push.

"What did you call me?"

"C'mon, you know it's true. If you were really as bold as you think, you'd just walk up to Tomoyo and tell her you're in love with her - then she'd be in an emotional heap. Nothing to it."

His face didn't turn red or show any other noticeable signs of discomfort associated with romance, but it _did_ turn into the sort of scowl someone has when they don't want you to know they're experiencing discomfort on the inside (like heartburn), or when they're working on a mathematical equation.

"Fine, I will," he stated as calmly as he was able, turning to ascend the stairs to her room. It was as if he were ascending the steps leading to a guillotine. A guillotine with an impish girl named Tomoyo ready to let go of the pulley that brings the blade down. But such is love.

"You'll go right now?"

"No reason to put it off."

"I won't see you go up and change your mind moments later?"

"No."

"Alright."

"Fine."

"I'm really going."

"Good."

When he found her, Tomoyo was reading from the contents of a letter spilled across her bed. She evidently wasn't aware of his presence yet. As her eyes scanned the words, her gaze slowly flickered up so that she caught sight of him and gave a little gasp of surprise.

"Oh! You startled me," she said as she gathered the pages together. She looked at him expectantly as he stood there in the doorway. Right about then his tongue decided to go dry and his brain decided it would erase the speech the size of an essay he had formulated.

She must have sensed this and quickly spared him the task of speaking first. "It's a good thing you're here - I wanted to ask a favor."

There was a hint of hesitation before she continued, "My sister wrote back asking if I could come home for a few days."

"And...you want to go?" He questioned, and it struck him as odd how he didn't feel annoyed at the suddenness of her request. The only part that made him uncomfortable was how she stared at him. Those eyes that seemed to peer at his thoughts, rearranging them, categorizing them. He hadn't done anything really wonderful, or so he thought.

She happily nodded. "I haven't seen them in months...it would be so nice to visit."

"Go ahead," said a voice that sounded strangely like Kurogane's but couldn't possibly have been. The sound was too gentle and there wasn't a hint of sarcasm. Even Tomoyo did a double take.

"Then I guess I'll go pack," she said carefully, still not able to believe she really was going home. As she folded things away, her eyes fell across a certain passage in her sister's letter:

_You want to find out what he thinks of you? If he agrees to your coming home, then I think you'll know._

She hastily tucked the page away as she found herself chuckling nervously and blushing - an extremely embarrassing combination she was grateful her sister couldn't see.

* * *

><p>When everything had been packed away and Tomoyo had bundled up for the freezing weather outside, she said her goodbyes and promised to return in three days. There hadn't been a dry eye (it may have been the cold stinging their eyes) in either Chi or Sakura as they embraced their friend and encouraged her to come back soon.<p>

As she moved to embrace the grumpy one, he returned her gesture with a rare show of affection: ruffling the top of her head (it made her hair stand up so perhaps it wasn't as kind as it appeared).

At last she stepped into the carriage, (courtesy of her family) and as it slowly became a dot in the distance the rest of the company wandered back inside. When it came time for dinner everyone sat down in deathly silence. That was, all except for Fay.

"Y-you didn't tell her...a-and now she's...ahaha..." he could barely get the words out, he was laughing so hard. Soon, he was laughing in a heap on the floor (courtesy of Kurogane's fist).


	7. Chapter 7

"You remember where your room is, right, Tomoyo?"

She smiled at her father's question; it _had_ been a while since she'd climbed the familiar steps where her room overlooked the river. It was a nice change from having to look at the overgrown tangle that was Kurogane's backyard. "I think I'll rest for a bit," she told him as she set her bags down on her old (but reliable), creaky bed - right next to the little nook where Ruu appeared, purring and rubbing against her legs. She reached down to pat him (and realized how he had grown).

"Right. We'll be having your favorite for dinner tonight," her father continued, looking nostalgic as he scanned their cupboard (stocked with an endless supply of rice).

"_Our _favorite," she corrected in a nature of lightheartedness. "We came up with the perfect recipe together, after all."

"Ah. I was afraid you'd forgotten already - your being in that house for so long, you know, I was prepared to re-acquaint you with our style of living."

"But I could never forget something that took so much effort. We did-"

"-Experiment with it for six hours straight," he finished. "No tea breaks. Not to mention we had to work around your cooking impairment."

"_And _your ingredient impairment." They grinned at each other and laughed; it had been too long since they could finish each other's sentences (a trait her father said she inherited from her mother).

Dinner was a while in coming, so she began unpacking and rearranging everything in her room - this was a painstaking process, but well worth it as the room slowly regained its former self. Ruu wove in and out of the room and was especially interested in the amount of ribbon she kept in a basket (a rainy day project). Her thoughts turned to what everyone would be doing back at Kurogane's place: this was easy to conjure in her mind for she knew them all too well.

Mokona madly flipped through a cookbook in preparation for dinner; Syaoran would likely set the table while making a mental note to keep Kurogane's steak from burning; Fay plunked away on the piano (he called it 'mood music'), occasionally leaning over to see how much it annoyed the grumpy one.

Sakura and Chi would be tidying and lighting the fireplace, Kurogane sitting back in his chair in the living room attempting to read a murder mystery over the din of Fay's off-key notes.

She wasn't far from the truth - back at the castle Kurogane glanced toward a vacant chair at the table, strangely idle from his reading. He never let on to the others, but he perked up once or twice when it appeared she was coming downstairs. Obviously, he reprimanded himself, he hadn't acquired enough sleep.

Fay almost let slip a playful joke, but thought better of it in view of his friend's somewhat distracted mood. Today nothing seemed to please him as it once did. Frustrated, he slammed the offending article down and stomped upstairs. The other occupants' gazes leaned in the direction of the receding echo of his feet; this was new.

Safe from prying eyes in his room (so he thought), he silently stepped onto the balcony. The sun had gone down some time before and the stars were just beginning to poke out. Despite the ideal surroundings, he was not looking forward to the task set before him. He plucked a sprig from one of many vines twisting themselves around the castle wall. Back and forth he paced, shredding the sprig and cursing under his breath with each corresponding turn.

A period of more stationary reflection followed as he sat with his back against the balcony support, boring a hole into the center of the mangled greenery resting in his palm. He wished he could find his brain's 'nothing' box at this point (all men have one).

Finally (and this was the part he had dreaded), defeat became imminent. With pen, ink, paper, and a lit candle, he began scribbling as he never had before - a man on a mission.

* * *

><p>"No offense, Father, but your cooking is a bit lacking without Tomoyo and I to keep you focused," Kendappa quipped as she popped another forkful of fish into her mouth. He was facing away from them as he put ingredients in their place, but they could see his head tilting slightly. He had a quiet way of listening to every word in conversation - which astounded the girls when they were younger. No prank by his less-than-angelic daughters had been successful as he had always known beforehand what they were doing with startling accuracy.<p>

"It's good to have you back," he casually noted. You could hear the smile in his voice.

"It's wonderful to _be_ back! And how is aunt Soma holding up? Has she found a new place to live?"

Her sister paused mid-scoop to answer, "Oh, didn't I mention? She's married to that nice man who keeps his cottage so clean. His name's Hideki, I think."

"Oh, yes! When I was little he would give me yellow carnations once a week and he often helped father with his more difficult plowing." Tomoyo smiled softly at the memory.

"She made an excellent choice."

_ Things really have changed since I've been away.  
><em>

Night came again and she was in her room. She'd forgotten how brightly the stars shone in tiny streams of light through the window as they did now. Kendappa could plainly be heard from the adjacent room practicing her harp (with which she had grown quite adept). The river splashed and gurgled as usual; these were the old sounds of home. In a way it was good she had pushed these memories to the back of her mind during her stay at Kurogane's. How she had missed the sounds!

She stretched and curled up under the covers, though she wasn't the least bit tired yet.

_I wonder if they miss me the way I miss them, _she found herself thinking - then slowly grinned, closing her eyes while an even more warm and pleasant thought filled her mind; the sheer difficulty of erasing that smile and the memories that went along with it left her pleasantly surprised.

_ I wonder if he misses me._

The family spent the next day on a picnic in a grassy spot that lay along where the river behind their house branched out and widened. There was a cluster of elm trees in that spot, but three in particular grew closer together, and under these the family spread out their lunch things.

It was a mildly cold, but lovely, day. Tomoyo feasted on freshly baked bread, rice, and fish. The fish were caught beforehand by both girls using the technique they learned at an early age from their father. The taste of it reminded her of all the times she nearly fell into the water just from the weight of trying to reel some of them in. At the time she had been too small to accomplish such a feat by herself, so the trick was for her father to catch hold of both fishing rod and Tomoyo at the right time - then, if Tomoyo didn't fall in, they would let Kendappa have a turn (you could say she was a test subject of sorts in that situation).

After watching her catch a few of her own fish from the bank at a steady pace, her father announced, "What do you know - little Tomoyo stayed on dry land today!"

_Things have changed since I've been away...but thankfully the people haven't_, she warmly observed as the day quickly passed by.

* * *

><p>"It was fun looking a little different, but at the end of the day it's nice to be my old self."<p>

Tomoyo washed the minor application of cosmetics from her face, watching the foreign material swirl into odd patterns in the wash basin (it ended up looking like her first cooking experiment).

Kendappa tried her hardest not to flinch; watching Tomoyo swipe the brush through her done-up hair reminded Kendappa of one incident when Tomoyo had decided to cut her own hair (although the short length took only two weeks to grow back completely due to Tomoyo's aforementioned crazy hair growth ability).

Another swipe through her hair and Tomoyo met her sister's gaze in the mirror.

"Sorry-" Tomoyo faltered with the brush for a moment, "-I appreciate the work you put into it."

Her sister was laying belly-side down on Tomoyo's bed - they had just returned from their town's local festival which had provided Kendappa ample opportunity to play dress-up not only with herself, but Tomoyo. "But it just isn't _you_, hmm?" Kendappa knew the answer already - she just wanted to see the look that crossed her sister's face (a mixture of suffering and boredom).

"Not particularly..."

"Little wonder you aren't married; you don't put enough time into your looks. There were practically dozens of rich single men I was dying to introduce to you. Some of them even had a personality."

"Thank you for the compliment, but since you aren't married, either, I'll gladly let you have your pick of those 'wonderful' specimens," Tomoyo teased back.

"And I suppose you have a much more rich and wonderful 'specimen'?

Tomoyo quickly turned the conversation toward life at Kurogane's place.

"Tell me about your stay and don't leave anything out," her sister urged.

In between character descriptions of the various people at the castle and the castle itself there would be a little spark in Tomoyo's demeanor; her sister noticed, but said nothing.

These new revelations circled in Kendappa's mind (and she wondered if people were truly so unaware); after several more minutes discourse she finally voiced the opinion that it was time for bed and exited the room. Tomoyo's pale yellow nightgown laid ready on her bed from several hours before, and she quickly slipped into it; in doing so her eye rested on the item sitting on her nightstand.

She recalled Fay's specific instructions on how she would return to them: a tiny "magic" ring. A little note was bound around the piece of jewelry, and read as followed:

_Hope you're having a pretty good time with your family - I say pretty good because we don't want you liking it so much you'll never want to see us again! I'm kidding - but on a serious note - you and I both know Kuro will never admit we miss you, so I thought I should._

_p.s. Twist that little inlay on the ring twice when the three days are up and you'll be here again!_

_p.p.s Hope you don't have a nervous habit of twisting rings on your fingers - you may be here sooner.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Kurogane slid the letter into place on Tomoyo's nightstand between two books she had left behind from the castle's library (Kurogane was only a casual reader). He then had difficulty finding the correct way the letter should be presented when it met her eye - should it be laid atop the first book in an inviting manner? Or would that seem careless? Between the pages of the book? But then, would she think he was somehow ashamed to show it in plain sight? He finally decided on a different spot altogether - atop her pillow. Now he only hoped she wouldn't lay on it for three days before it was noticed.<p>

"Tomorrow's the big day, huh?"

In all the years they had been friends, Fay never seemed to learn (or chose to be ignorant) that sneaking up on Kurogane triggered a reflex in his fist connecting with whatever was behind him - which, in this case, happened to be Fay's face.

"Sheesh! I only meant you must be happy she's coming back to tease you mercilessly so you can stop moping around every day and get on with your life," he said, covering the lump collecting in his right cheek,"you really _are_ stressed."

An all too familiar slyness came into Fay's eye - he had spotted the tell-tale note.

"Afraid you'll get shot down?"

Kurogane lowered his eyelids in a way that indicated he was about ready for another 'fist reflex'.

"Oh, Kurogane!" his friend proclaimed, feigning Tomoyo's voice and making gesticulations as if he were about to faint, "I don't want to live my life with a man who can't respect himself! I couldn't possibly receive your passionate affections!"

"I don't want to think about it."

"Ok - but you know if you need any 'girls-are-not-always-angels' advice, I'm here."

"And what makes _you_ the expert on women?"

"Weeell, I do happen to have my eye on a beautiful girl myself," he said. Nothing in his demeanor gave away the fact Fay was as unsure of his prospects with this girl as Kurogane was with his. Still, he trotted off in satisfaction, leaving Kurogane in wretched contemplation.

Kurogane's mother had put forth a valiant effort in making sure her son knew the proper way to treat women, training him for the special girl she had hoped he would meet any day. Unfortunately, this planning was lost on a twelve-year-old barely accustomed to puberty.

She gave weekly lessons (at times having to bribe him with pork buns), which all took place in the living room with the best table settings and décor set out so he would know she was serious.

He remembered in amusement how she taught him dancing (not just shuffling side to side), music appreciation (as opposed to banging sticks together), etiquette (his mother quickly broke him of pulling girls' chairs out from under them), and so on.

"Pretend I'm a nice little girl from a good family whose father wants to betroth me soon," she had instructed one day (a kind of final exam).

"What is the first thing you say to this proposal?"

His grimace said it all. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"Perhaps you're a little young to appreciate these things," she had finally resigned, sighing. "We'll start lessons again next year."

But before that opportunity had come to pass, he was put under a curse, ran away from home, worked as a part-time assassin, and saved up enough to buy his own place - which all did rather put a wrench into the works.

* * *

><p>Syaoran, not given to the over-excitement that had come over nearly all the occupants in the castle, was yet just as anxious for Tomoyo's arrival. He heard Sakura's light step next to him and turned his head to acknowledge her. He then noticed with some alarm that she was puffing and nearly out of breath. She noticed his querying look.<p>

"I've been cleaning everywhere - it was longer than I expected but I wanted it to be finished before Tomoyo-chan arrives," she explained softly (he could tell she was trying hard to stay awake).

"All by yourself?!"

"No, no, Chi and Mokona were helping." He had always thought it was cute when she became bashful about her work - her face with that adorable little smile, especially. She readily selected an open chair by the fire, taking enjoyment in being still and comfortable, and in shutting her eyes. She soon dozed. It would have been scandalous in his own eyes for Syaoran to place a kiss while she lay in such a vulnerable state (or in any state, for that matter), but as this kiss was deposited quickly on the forehead, he reasoned, it was right and proper.

"Good work, Sakura."

* * *

><p>The way her father and sister hugged and congratulated her that last night right before using the ring stuck with Tomoyo for a long time.<p>

"It's an interesting new way of traveling," her father remarked in his cautious matter-of-fact way. His eye caught the ring on her finger. It was quite plain he was nervous for her.

"This magic stuff - you're certain it won't accidentally drop you into a cave? Has the man who made it checked its reliability? What exactly happens when you use it? A friend of mine once heard-"

She placed her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "I'll be alright, Papa. Fay may be on the careless side, but not with things like this. I admit I'm curious as to how the ring returns me _and_ my luggage, but I know it will work out."

"Say hello to _Kurogane_ for me," interjected her sister in the teasing way familiar to those with siblings, especially elder; Tomoyo nearly dropped her luggage (which was odd considering she had both hands on the handle) in her agitation.

* * *

><p>"TOMOYO'S BACK! TOMOYO'S BACK! TOMOYO'S BA-"<p>

"I know, I know." Kurogane was already annoyed with his tie not sizing properly while he tugged at it (the mirror confirmed this), and the rabbit-thing bouncing up and down at the windowsill - repeating what he considered redundant exclamations - wasn't helping. He began to wonder how in the world Syaoran and Fay had talked him into wearing a suit today. A quick scan through his wardrobe, however, told him there was no other foreseeable option (unless he was trying for the rich hobo look).

"Mokona wants to see her first! Mokona will brighten her day!"

He tucked the flailing Mokona (about to take flight) under one arm and descended the stairs.

Syaoran awaited them in the living room; it was the first area Tomoyo would come through when she arrived since the front door (which was small for a castle) was situated there. The castle had never been brightened so cheerily as it was now; fresh red draperies hung in all twelve living room windows; the fire crackled and gave just the right amount of warmth.

"Alright," came their master's voice as he crossed the room (unhanding Mokona in the process), "I don't want anyone crowding her when she comes in."

Sakura was the most disappointed with the news. "But we only want to welcome her..."

"He doesn't mean only he can see her," Fay said, then, turning to Kurogane with a suspicious look, "_right_?"

"Right," the other affirmed, "just don't-"

"-Crowd her. We get it," Fay finished. "Lighten up, Kuro-Kuro!"

Their enlightening conversation was ceremoniously interrupted by the entrance of Tomoyo herself, a bag hanging off each shoulder, looking a tad bewildered.

"Hello?"

She wasn't allowed to say anything more before a wave of shouts and hurrahs greeted her. It was so good to be home when you had just left your other home. As the others parted from her, Kurogane stepped in - perhaps to say a simple hello; we'll never know, really, because as he stepped toward her, she merely glanced at him once and kept walking toward her room, the bewildered look never leaving her face.

"Are you two okay?" It was Syaoran who whispered it first - to which Kurogane shrugged. He wanted to know the answer to that himself.

Upstairs, Tomoyo slid to the floor with the door she had just closed to her back. Her mind was racing and she realized she had inadvertently dropped both luggage bags. Without a second thought she stooped to unpack, all the while her inner dialogue running back-and-forth as two opposing viewpoints:

_What am I doing? _

_Go back down there! He might have something important to say.  
><em>

_Like what? _

_You'll never know unless you go down there. He may have missed you for all you know.  
><em>

_I will. First thing in the morning._

_You'll say the same thing tomorrow._

_Will not.  
><em>

_Will too._

_Then it won't make any difference if I talk to him today or tomorrow._

_But what if he wants to make sure you're alright now? You did make a scene in front of him._

_It was only nerves. I was tired and didn't know what to say._

_Believe that if you want._

_It's just...what if he doesn't say what I think he's going to say? What if things keep going on the way they have been?  
><em>

_He wants to talk to you. Give him a chance. _

_I don't know..._

_Would you just go down there!_

Twenty minutes after he had read and re-read the same column of his book, Kurogane heard what sounded like faint thumping down the stairs, then silence followed shortly by someone muttering something under their breath, followed by more thumping. The next time he looked up from his book, she was flying down the steps with the most triumphant look he had seen. She slowed her pace as her breathlessness caught up to her.

"Aha! Kurogane, I need...ask...go somewhere alone? Ok?"

* * *

><p>The glow from the chandelier's candles caught the glass, shimmering a geometric reflection in all directions that they walked through while crossing the floor. After Tomoyo's abrupt request, she had been surprised at how quickly Kurogane had responded; within ten minutes they were making their way to what must have been a ballroom (of sorts - the room was too square).<p>

"As you can see only Fay really comes here to practice 'his greatness", he commented while they passed the pianoforte, "He says it makes his playing more real in a bigger room." It was true - other than the chandelier and tapestries lining each quadrant of the room nothing was well kept. The floor especially had seen better days (at one time it had been brushed alabaster white instead of dull gray).

"I'm sorry if I made it seem like I wanted to talk to you about a life-or-death decision," she began sheepishly, "You were on the verge of bringing out your katana or something."

"It's in storage," he replied. It took her a few moments to understand the joke.

He eyed a bruise collecting on her left forearm (she was trying very hard to conceal it with her other hand, making it most obvious).

"Tough getting used to our stairs again?"

She nodded, and by the look on her face perhaps somewhat embarrassed from being found out. "Haven't you ever thought of replacing them with, I don't know, _normal_ stairs? The type that don't trip you from behind and in front because of how winding they are?"

"I think you're the only one with that problem."

"I'll have Fay make me a magic carpet then. Problem solved."

"Do we always do this?" He said. It didn't seem possible to him that they were having a regular (at least for them) conversation this soon.

"Do what?"

"Spar with words."

"I'd say so; it's how we say 'I like being around you'."

"Fair enough."

"Too bad this room hasn't had anything but Fay's playing. It's called a ballroom, and there aren't any people to dance in it," she commented (and he knew at once where she was going with that line).

He smirked. There were some things he didn't need any prompting with.

"Not that you would be interested, but I _do_ in fact know how to dance."

"I was hoping you would say that!"

Her left hand slid across his right shoulder; he rested his right hand on her back, and their free hands met. "What?" he asked, perplexed, when she burst into a little involuntary chuckle.

"You really are tall, aren't you? I never noticed as much until we were this close."

It certainly changed things now that his mother wasn't dancing with him. This new close proximity to Tomoyo was starting to send creepy crawlies up and down his spine; the only problem with these crawlies was he found he actually enjoyed them.

"Yeah, well, I get it from my father."

This remark was followed by several minutes of awkward silence. Tomoyo leaned into his shoulder while they swayed, not letting the quiet go to waste. Musical accompaniment was in the form of Syaoran on the violin (Fay had already retired to bed). How different it was to relax and enjoy the simple company of this person than he had imagined.

"I feel like I'm going to trip you, you're so tall," she said again.

"Well I feel like I'm going to step on you, you're so short," he immediately countered. Just at that moment, however, his mother's instructions on being polite came back to haunt him and made him second guess his choice of words. They hadn't been callously spoken - but then again you could never tell how women would take it anyway.

"Uh, it wasn't supposed to come out quite like..." but he stopped as he watched her face erupt with laughter - the kind of laughter that comes from needing to let off some nervous tension. The light bulb went on. She was just as nervous as he was.

"That's the second time you ever joked with me, Kurogane. It should happen more often."

Now that the icebreaker had been introduced, they passed idle chatter back and forth on how they grew up, what their goals were in life, and all the quizzing that should have come at the beginning (see what over-analyzing does?)

He dropped his steady gaze ahead and cautiously looked down when she fell silent. Her head nestled near his heart in a dangerously intimate fashion; his pulse responded by vacillating within high speeds. The old him would have pried off any female who tried this stunt, and he allowed himself to wonder why he hadn't done so with her. Just in case his voice wasn't as steady as he wanted, he cleared his throat as delicately as he knew how.

"Ah...Tomoyo?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we're..." here he paused briefly to find the correct word that wouldn't make things uncomfortable, "...friends, maybe?"

She was analyzing his face in that curious way of hers. What went through her head at times like those, he almost wished he knew (almost, for fear it would be full of kittens, rainbows, flowers, and the like).

"I've found a wonderful, wonderful friend in you. I'm only sorry I never understood it before."

The way she said that second _wonderful_ bordered on the way most people said _adore_ - or maybe he was reading too much into it. In fact, he might have been reading into all of this too much. He should have stayed in bed this morning.

He cleared his throat again. "You know this is technically a date."

"After the first ten minutes, yes."

So far, so good.

"But friends don't really go on dates," he prompted.

"Then I guess that wouldn't make us friends at all."

She returned to "her nestling spot"; the creepy crawlies wouldn't leave him alone. They traveled up into his brain and at that moment something happened. He didn't know exactly what until he became aware that his head was resting on top of hers. He was still in too stupefied a state to comprehend exactly how it happened, but he was half an inch away from pressing a kiss onto the side of her face (and what good could come from that?) when she asked,

"Should we invite the others next time?"

"For what?" he snapped (which came out much more rough than he had intended).

"Don't get excited - I only meant so they could fill the ballroom more. It's usually meant to have more than one couple dancing, you know."

"Oh."

They considered each other for several moments before apologies were exchanged. She stated matter-of-factly, "you can kiss me now if you like."

He hadn't been prepared for a response like that out of the blue - particularly after he had lost his temper. She misinterpreted his silence as embarrassment (which oddly enough made her embarrassed in turn).

"That is, if you - if that's what you were - did I miss something...?"

He slowly shook his head, trying not to laugh while considering the eyes that were looking up at him questioningly; he had forgotten how beautiful they were (except for when she was shooting daggers out of them).

* * *

><p>When Kurogane's footfalls reached the cold stone flooring that began from Tomoyo's doorway to the end of the hall, he paused. It had been several hours since they exited the ballroom and it was obvious from the absence of light beneath her door that she had long since gone to bed. The door itself, however, was slightly ajar. He nudged it - it responded with a squeak. He now remembered it was long overdue for maintenance. His conscience only worsened when he saw what lay inside. There she was, head slumped over folded arms, laying belly-side down atop her blanket on her bed. She had been so tired she had not even bothered to get under the covers or dress herself in anything more than a flimsy light yellow nightgown meant for spring.<p>

The room was shabbier than he remembered and from the few minutes he had been standing in it he could tell it did not hold heat very well at all. He mentally kicked himself while promising to make things right.

At first he was reluctant to untie his bathrobe and slip it on her. His shirt and shorts underneath were not exactly his idea of winter bed attire but he had been too lazy to wear anything warmer - which he then realized made him a worse example than her for dressing appropriately. Any reluctance quickly faded when he noticed the corners of her mouth turn upward at the warmth of the new covering. It lasted a few moment before she slipped off to sleep again. He now made sure one arm cradled her while his other pulled the covers back - she was, at last, properly in bed. In his anxiety over her care, however, he failed to notice that the action of pulling the covers back somewhat forcefully caused the letter he had placed earlier to slip from atop her pillow behind her bed (he had really become a softie not to notice such a thing).

It struck him as he was about to leave that he wished he could do more for her, and why hadn't he done more, and why did she come back here? He found himself wondering what else he could do that would make her smile like that again. True, she smiled often for what appeared to be no reason, but this time she had smiled from something he had done for her that was genuinely...unselfish wasn't the right word...

Something kind.

**Author's Note: Please forgive me for it taking this long to update! I hope you enjoy it. Bless you guys. =3**


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